Health Tip – Dec. 10 – For Saner Shopping, Wear High Heels

Seriously, a new study from marketing professors at Utah’s Brigham Young University found that when shopping for such pricey items as a new television, you’re more likely to spend sensibly if you’re wearing high heels. They theorized that anything that forces your mind to focus on keeping your body in equilibrium affects your shopping choices as well.

For their study, the researchers set up experiments that caused consumers to factor balance into their shopping. In one experiment, online shoppers were asked to lean back in a chair, others were asked to play a Wii Fit game while answering questions about product choices or to stand on one foot while pondering which printer to purchase.

The idea behind the study was to help consumers better understand what they really want while shopping. We need to sit back for a minute and consider, ‘Is this really what I want, or are the shoes I’m wearing influencing my choice?’ We need to be more aware of what is influencing our choices.